Double Shot of Reviews: Goat Major & I Am The Intimidator

Greetings! Here’s a double shot of reviews for you since I’m not gonna be very active on the blog this month. I’m moving out of town, a three-hour drive away, at the end of the month and I have a hectic schedule until then. You’ll see two more reviews on the weekend of the 24^th and 25^th for Musings on Ace Frehley’s 10,000 Volts and Blaze Bayley’s Circle of Stone, two of my most anticipated albums of 2024. I’ll return sometime in the first week of March once I’m fully settled into my new condo. My girlfriend and I can’t wait to start our new life there! Alright, on to the music. Both records will be out March 8^th.

The first one is from Welsh occult doom trio Goat Major. Their debut album, Ritual, will be released through the mighty Ripple Music label. This 8-track album grew on me with every spin and I found myself loving it by the third listen. It’s got many sonic layers that you don’t necessarily hear until you sit down and focus on the songs, and then it hits you. The highlights for me are “Turn to Dust”, a song reminiscent of stoner giants Sleep with cool occult vibes thrown in for good measure; “Light of The End” with its relentless riffs and clobbering percussion; “Mountains of Madness”, an epic 8-minute tune where each band member gets to show off his craftsmanship; and my favourite track, “Evil Eye”, which was the catchy first single loaded with killer doomy atmosphere. Ritual is a solid album from top to bottom and fans of doom, heavy rock, and stoner rock will especially dig this talented band’s sinister musical offerings.

Ripple Music’s Bandcamp Page for Goat Major: https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/ritual

The second release is a 6-song EP from Portland, Oregon native Andrew Stromstad with his brainchild I Am The Intimidator with a self-titled release via Oregon boutique label Miserable Pyre. I Am The Intimidator is a very unique concept of NASCAR-themed metal. Yes, you’ve read right! Stromstad decided to combine his love of NASCAR racing driver Dale Earnhardt with fantasy to deliver a full-throttle, high-speed thrash metal offering. The results are surprisingly quite great. Stromstad sings, plays guitar, bass, and drums and does a bang-up job of it. Highlights for me include “Gasoline”, the fast and furious first single with its super catchy chorus; “I Am the Intimidator”, a speedy metal blast with terrific guitar work that’s old school metal to the bone; and “Crying from the Abyss”, my favourite song, an all-around stellar track with a ferocious guitar and bass attack. I Am The Intimidator, the band and the EP, are well-worth your time and money if you’re into metal and classic rock.

Miserable Pyre’s Bandcamp Page for I Am The Intimidator: https://iamtheintimidator.bandcamp.com/album/i-am-the-intimidator